Phono section on the blink...maybe more

I finally acquired the last piece of the puzzle at Carverfest, the AL III's, and just got everything hooked up...sweet and juicy like these nutz.!!!! THEN I decide to play a little vinyl. No sound. Or should I say if the volume is all the way up you can barely hear the sound in front of the speakers. I've changed interconnects and am going to move the table into my other system to check but I'm afraid the Classic Vacuum Tube pre is the culprit. It doesn't have the moving coil stage just the moving magnet. Is there anything I can do before switching it out and packing it up. Another thing I noticed is that the volume control on mine has to be turned up much further than the one Eddie had at the fest to achieve the same level of sound? Eddie was running a Lightstar 300x2, me a Sunfire 600x2. Is this also an underlying problem? Thanks in advance.

Mute switch? Tape monitor?

Is your cartridge MM or MC?

I think there also might be an attenuation switch somewhere...perhaps inside to control output?

ALSO, found this in the manual:

Phono Section Crop_Sunfire Classic Tube Preamp.jpg (98.77 KiB) Viewed 392 times

So, if you don't have the phono section at all, it's only a line level input & won't work with a phono.

Found this as well:

Phono Stage Gain Change_Sunfire Control Tube Preamp.jpg (171.43 KiB) Viewed 392 times

If you don't have the phono board, you don't have phono at all on the Sunfire tube pre, just a CD input. You'll need a phono head amp.

Maybe should have looked at the manual first!!!! ...What about the difference in gain volume??? Is this the result of something going bad ???

Wayne, a phono output is an order off magnitude lower than a CD output. That's why it requires a more sensitive (different) input to the preamp.

I am speaking of the cd imput. The volume or gain knob on Eddie's is at the same volume level at the 10 o'clock position as mine is at 1 o'clock.

your cd player may put out less volts(tubes?), or the tubes in the pre are diffrent, MU factor?

Wayne-- do you have a phono board ?

What kind/type of cart? MM/MC?

After re-reading your post,, all you may need is a SUT (step up transformer),,I use a cinemag sut with my dynavector phono stage--since I have a lomc cart,,thats all I needed to do--if you find that is the case with you--contact jerryj12,,as he has a nice SUT that he's gonna part with--good luck--let us know what happens--george

pm sent

After re-reading your post,, all you may need is a SUT (step up transformer),,I use a cinemag sut with my dynavector phono stage--since I have a lomc cart,,thats all I needed to do--if you find that is the case with you--contact jerryj12,,as he has a nice SUT that he's gonna part with--good luck--let us know what happens--george

George. I am not sure this is correct. To the best of my knowledge there was only one phonoboard made for the Sunfire Classic. There would be four pair of RCA, where the picture above only shows one pair, IF it had the phonoboard.

Without the phono board a MC stepup device would be on no use, because there is no RIAA phono section for the next stage of phono playback before one gets to the line section.

The King needs a phonoboard.

Or a stand along phono section, with or without MC input, depending on his cartridge.

Bruce

Wayne-- do you have a phono board ?

What kind/type of cart? MM/MC?

Thanks Bruce-- I still don't know if Wayne has a phono board,,I have a "free standing" phono pre,,and I have just recently built a Cinemag SUT,, for/with my LOMC,,and I'll tell you what,,,WOW--much improved using the SUT to the phono pre vs just the phono--I am certainly no expert on Sunfire,but if Wayne does not have the phono board,and IF his pre is capable of accomodating one,,that might be the best way to go--so,,Wayne--you have a phono board in that puppy?

Wayne-- do you have a phono board ?

What kind/type of cart? MM/MC?

Thanks Bruce-- I still don't know if Wayne has a phono board,,I have a "free standing" phono pre,,and I have just recently built a Cinemag SUT,, for/with my LOMC,,and I'll tell you what,,,WOW--much improved using the SUT to the phono pre vs just the phono--I am certainly no expert on Sunfire,but if Wayne does not have the phono board,and IF his pre is capable of accomodating one,,that might be the best way to go--so,,Wayne--you have a phono board in that puppy?

I don't George...I need some good ole " spoon feeding" if ya don't mind!!!

OK-- do you know if you pre amp is capable of accomodating a phono board,,like Brians at CF?
If yes,, then I would get in contact with Bob and get one of his "tweaked" boards
If no,, then you are lookig at a "stand alone" phoho pre---so,, then you need to decide,,tubed or solid state,,, then,,your budget-- once you get those answered--I'll get on the clock and find one for you,if you like--ahhh,, your journey is just beginning,,,,,betcha' can't wait to hear some vinyl thru those AL III's eh?, ,You know that Bob wanted to hear your speaks with vinyl playing thru them,,lemme' know and we'll get to work.

OK-- do you know if you pre amp is capable of accomodating a phono board,,like Brians at CF?
If yes,, then I would get in contact with Bob and get one of his "tweaked" boards
If no,, then you are lookig at a "stand alone" phoho pre---so,, then you need to decide,,tubed or solid state,,, then,,your budget-- once you get those answered--I'll get on the clock and find one for you,if you like--ahhh,, your journey is just beginning,,,,,betcha' can't wait to hear some vinyl thru those AL III's eh?, ,You know that Bob wanted to hear your speaks with vinyl playing thru them,,lemme' know and we'll get to work.

Thanks George!!! How do I know if it is capable of accommodating a phono board??? Yes...I wanna hear vinyl......